Shake Shack is planning its first Coachella Valley location. Here's where

Move over, In-N-Out – one of the most popular burger chains from back east is coming to the desert.

Shake Shack , the New York burger chain that began with a cart in a Manhattan park and now boasts hundreds of restaurants across the nation, says it is planning to open its first Coachella Valley location in the Palm Desert shopping area, The Shops on El Paseo, later this year.

In addition to its Angus beef burgers, Shake Shack also sells chicken sandwiches, crinkle-cut fries, frozen custard, milkshakes and lemonade. The chain, which was founded in 2001, first expanded to California in 2015 with a location in West Hollywood.

There are now several Shake Shacks around the Los Angeles and San Diego areas, plus one in Irvine. For now, the closest to the Coachella Valley is in Victoria Gardens, about 85 miles from El Paseo.

A company spokesperson said the new restaurant will be at 73-199 El Paseo. That's a building with several retail spaces, and she didn't specify which will house Shake Shack. But there is a vacant space that was most recently home to clothing and linens store Soft Surroundings.

Shake Shack would be the latest high-profile fast food chain to make its entry into the Coachella Valley in recent years — joining fried chicken juggernauts Chick-fil-A and Raising Cane's.

In-N-Out now boasts five restaurants in or near the valley (including its Cabazon location) following the much-hyped but controversial opening of its newest area location in Rancho Mirage in 2022.

The Shops at El Paseo is home to several restaurants, including Eddie V’s Prime Seafood, a California Pizza Kitchen outpost and the new Shorebird restaurant. However, it does not currently have any eateries that offer fast-food style counter service as Shake Shack does.The company said it is currently hiring for the restaurant via its website, ShakeShack.com/Join-Our-Team . The opening date of the restaurant has not been determined, a spokesperson said.

Paul Albani-Burgio covers growth, development and business in the Coachella Valley. Follow him on Twitter at @albaniburgiop and email him at paul.albani-burgio@desertsun.com .

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Shake Shack is planning its first Coachella Valley location. Here's where